Kaspersky Lab Product Licenses: Top 10 FAQ

There are many requests sent into Kaspersky Lab Technical Support concerning license issues for Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Kaspersky Internet Security and other products. Let’s discuss the top 10 most frequently asked questions submitted to Technical Support by reviewing our End User License Agreement and the system requirements for our products.

1. I have a license for 2 PCs for 1 year. When will my license expire if I activate a second application copy a month later after first activation?

The two licenses will expire at the same time. Even if you do not activate another application copy, the license will be limited to the period starting from the date of the first activation. You can read a detailed description in the 3.7 point of EULA.

2. I have a license for 2 PCs for 1 year. Can I use it for a period of two years on 1 computer?

No, you cannot. If you try to activate the installed application with an active license with the same activation code, the error “The license is already being used on your computer” appears. The error “License has expired” will appear if you try to activate the expired commercial application version with the same license.

3. I have a valid activation code for Kaspersky Internet Security 2010. Can I activate Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 using the activation code?

A valid license is compatible with the previous and coming product versions according to the formula «-1/+3». For example, if you have an activation code for a product of 2010 version, using the code you can activate the product of 2009 version or any of three next versions (2011, 2012, and 2013).

4. I’ve renewed my license for a product that is the 2011 version. During activation the error “Invalid activation code” appears!

During license renewal, a new activation code will be assigned to a current product version. In this case, the installed application will not be automatically updated to the newest version. For example, if you have a product with version 2011 and you renew your license, your new license will be for the product version 2013. According to the formula “-1/+3,” the installed application version is not compatible with the new license. Download the product update from the Kaspersky Lab website: http://www.kaspersky.com/product-updates and activate the current product version.

5. I do not have an Internet connection. How do I activate the application? How do I receive a key file?

New malware emerge daily, so it is important to update your security application regularly to keep your personal data constantly protected. System requirements for Kaspersky Lab products state that they need an Internet connection in order to allow the application to work properly. A Kaspersky Lab product activation using a key file will be impossible with the 2014 version as this version will not be compatible with key files at all and Technical Support will not be able to send any since they will no longer exist.

6. I’ve renewed my license for the application. During activation the application asks me to enter my previous activation code. I do not have the code! What should I do?

If the installed application does not identify your previous license on your computer, a window asking to enter your previous activation code will appear. The renewal validation procedure is described in the 3.4 point of EULA. License renewal can be purchased with a discount. To validate that you purchased a commercial product version in the past, you must specify the activation code for the purchased product version. If you purchased a license renewal instead of a commercial version by mistake, the license will be active for a paid time period that is about 8 months.*

*Note. Only ex-USSR countries are affected.

7. The license renewal process ends with an error stating that the activation code has been used for renewal.

The error appears if your activation code has already been used to purchase a license renewal. The error may appear in the following situations:

- My friend and I purchased a license. My friend did not want to use the product this year and purchased another product with a discount.

- I had a license for 5 PCs. I renewed the license to get two licenses for 2PCs. One license has been activated with no problems. During activation of the second license an error appears.

-The license has been pirated. In some cases, such activation problems may appear if the product was installed and activated with an unknown license by computer technicians.

8. I use a license for 2 PCs. I’d like to change to one computer. Will my license be valid for a full license period or during the remaining days if I purchase a license renewal?

The license will be valid for a full validity period, because:

– Licenses are not assigned to specific computers;

– If a license renewal is activated for a full license validity period, the next license renewals will also be for full validity periods;

– To validate a new license after renewal, it is required to specify your previous activation code. The activation code can be used to validate the license on any computer.

9. I’ve bought a license in South Africa. I cannot activate the application in Russia.

If you want to purchase a box product version, we recommend you follow this rule: «Purchase a product in the region you want to use the product in!». These license limitations are described in the 3.7-3.11 points of EULA. If you purchased the product in Africa, the following information is presented on the purchased box:

In this case, Kaspersky Lab informed you about region license limitations.

If you want to purchase a license to activate the application in your region, we recommend you use our eStore: http://www.kaspersky.com/global-store. Licenses purchased via our online shop are not limited by regional use.

Such license limitations are applied to activation only. After activation you can travel and use the application with no limitations during a full license validity period wherever you want.

10. I bought my notebook with the pre-installed product. After an OS reinstallation, the application activation ends with the error “Number of activations using this code exceeded”.

If you purchase a computer with a pre-installed Kaspersky Lab product, the seller must provide a documents package, including the purchased license and receipt. If you do not have the documents package, contact the seller to get all required documents. Most likely, the seller activated the license on a great number of computers and, as a result, the license will be blocked.

Kaspersky Lab specialists monitor activation regions and tries. If a license is pirated, the activation code will be blocked. If a user purchased the license, but during activation the error “Number of activations using this code exceeded” appears, the user can create a request to Kaspersky Lab Technical Support to resolve the problem. In this case, the user needs to prove the product purchase.